Methode pour apprendre le dessein.. 1755

This page from Charles Antoine Jombert's 1755 book "Methode pour apprendre le dessein" is a manual for learning to draw the human face. The page features five different views of a human head, each accompanied by numbered grid lines and labeled descriptions in French. This type of instructional diagram was popular during the Enlightenment, as artists sought to create a more scientific approach to drawing. The use of grids and precise measurements emphasizes the emphasis on accuracy and observation in 18th century artistic practice. The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses this historical artifact of the evolution of drawing technique.